Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts Commission Awards Scholarships, Hears Pandemic Updates

Other Committee · Meeting of May 18, 2020

CT CHESHIRE — Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts Commission awarded $2,500 in scholarships and heard pandemic-impact reports at its first virtual meeting. Scholarship Committee Chair Donna Majak, joined by committee members Phil Vega and Ophelia Frazier, named Nina Chang and Haley Schmidt as gold-level recipients of $1,000 each, and Samantha Nowak as the first-ever silver-level recipient of $500; Chang is bound for RISD to study industrial design, Schmidt to UConn for illustration, and Nowak to the University of Miami for architecture. Arts Place Director Palarchik reported spring enrollment refunds had reduced the program's annual revenue from a normal $125,000 to roughly $85,000 and said roughly $3,000 in laptop purchases were planned from the current budget to support virtual instruction.

Library Director Crowley reported 48 virtual programs with 1,289 participants since mid-March and said a roof replacement and LED lighting upgrades were underway in the empty building, expected complete by mid-June. The Art Heals homebound-adult art program remains suspended, though memorial donations for the late Janet Kirk are expected to fund nearly two additional patients when restrictions lift.

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 18, 2020, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CHESHIRE — May 18, 2020 — The Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts Commission held its first virtual meeting Monday, awarding $2,500 in scholarships to three graduating seniors and receiving pandemic-related updates from Arts Place and the Cheshire Public Library.

The commission gathered via video conference as part of a broader town shift to remote meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scholarship awards, administered by the PPFA Scholarship Committee, marked the centerpiece of the evening's business.

The Full Story

Scholarship Committee Chair Donna Majak presided over the awards portion of the meeting, joined on the committee by Phil Vega and Ophelia Frazier. The three recipients were selected from a field of applicants evaluated on grades, a well-rounded background, demonstrated need, and a commitment to the arts.

Two students received gold-level awards of $1,000 each. Nina Chang, who plans to study industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design, cited her work at the Eli Whitney Museum as an early influence on her interest in design. Haley Schmidt, headed to the University of Connecticut to study illustration and character design, spoke about co-founding the Cheshire High School Art Club during her junior year. The club's first major project was a mural painted in the school's guidance department.

The third recipient, Samantha Nowak, received a $500 silver-level award — the first time the commission has conferred a silver scholarship. Nowak plans to major in architecture at the University of Miami and described a summer internship at an architecture firm as pivotal in confirming her career direction.

"I'm going to RISD, hopefully, if this whole COVID thing dies down. And I'm planning on studying industrial design, which is like a pretty broad field." [No timestamp index provided] — Nina Chang, scholarship recipient

"We had no art club previously, or hadn't for a while. And we really wanted to start something. And so we established our own art club." [No timestamp index provided] — Haley Schmidt, scholarship recipient

Arts Place Director Palarchik reported that spring enrollment had to be fully refunded after early cancellations, leaving the program at roughly $85,000 in revenue against a normal summer total near $125,000. She said the Feritopia youth program would not run this year because its instructor would not be in the state. Palarchik announced plans to reopen Arts Place for teen and adult classes in July and August on a limited basis, with tables spaced to allow approximately 8 feet around each of up to 10 students. She noted she had hired a specialist to help film virtual classes and was planning to purchase about $3,000 in laptop computers and Chromebooks from the current year's budget to support programming.

Cheshire Public Library Director Crowley reported that staff had been working from home since March 23 and had offered 48 virtual programs drawing 1,289 participants. The library had added Acorn TV and Great Courses to its digital offerings through the RB Digital app and had received 60 new library card applications online since March. Crowley noted that a roof and air handling unit replacement and an LED lighting upgrade were both underway in the empty building and expected to be completed by mid-June. She said a phased reopening plan was being developed but no dates had been set.

A report from the friends group noted that the Art Heals program, which sends artists to work with homebound Cheshire adults, had been suspended because volunteers cannot enter private homes during the pandemic. The group's annual author event, which helps fund Art Heals, has been rescheduled and the speaker secured for October, with a backup booking in place for the following year if the event must be canceled again. Donations made in memory of the late Janet Kirk had come in earmarked for Art Heals, sufficient to fund nearly two additional patients when the program resumes.

Why It Matters

The PPFA scholarship program distributes money that the all-volunteer commission raises through community programming and events. The $2,500 awarded Monday went to three seniors pursuing arts-focused higher education at a moment when many community arts programs have been curtailed or suspended. Arts Place is projecting a significant revenue shortfall for the year because of the canceled spring session, and the commission's ability to sustain both scholarships and programs in future years will depend on how quickly in-person classes and fundraising events can safely resume. The planned July and August reopening for teen and adult classes represents the first concrete step back toward normal operations.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approve minutes of the March 10 meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Accept the treasurer's report Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Adjourn the meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Cheshire's community access TV: Performing and Fine Arts Commission meeting, May 18, 2020